Metal Mouth Message Board

So I had my braces off last month, and I had a 10 min appointment with my orthodontist. He looked at it and checked it and said I can wear them "NIGHT TIME ONLY"?! I have been wearing these guys 24/7. Is this a joke? Did any orthodontist say that to you?

Do you mean the retainers? Yes I have been told to wear my retainers every night for a year.

[quote="Balfie"]Do you mean the retainers? Yes I have been told to wear my retainers every night for a year.[/quote]

Sorry, cant see how to edit my post! I have to wear them every night for a year, then can go to alternate nights and gradually lessen how many nights I wear them. Although will have to wear them forever just not necessarily every night. Hope that makes sense!

I suppose it varies from patient to patient, but it seems the standard practice is 24/7 for 6 months to a year, and then every night until you die. I had to wear mine 24/7 for 6 months, perhaps because my bones are very dense and my roots long, and he thought that things would stabilize quicker. I really don't know, but after 3 years in braces I followed his advice to the letter. Unless your ortho can provide a rationale for starting off only at night, I'd be inclined to wear them 24/7 for at least 6 months. Best of luck to you!

I just got my top braces off this morning and I was told 24 hours a day for 3 days and then 12-14 hours a day for 2 years. I thought that was weird, but I'll take it, because I'm a snacker and I was dying today having to brush my teeth every time I want to eat or drink some life-giving caffeine.

I got my braces off last week (3/11) and was told 24/7; next check-up is 8 weeks. I have the Essex upper retainer and permanent for the bottom. I've been pretty good about wearing the removable one. My issue is that sometimes I forget that it is in (drank coffee with it) or I forgot that it was not in. Quite frankly I still feel like I have braces but without the sharp abrasive wires. I had the MMA procedure in 2017 and I keep wondering if it's because of the hardware that I have in or is it because the retainers are still containing my teeth.

Although I went into this thinking I'd like the permanent bottom one; it annoying because I keep putting my tongue against it. I'm assuming I'll eventually get use to it similarly to a crown; which felt like a foreign object for several years.

Do the Essex retainers need to be replaced pretty frequently? It does not seem as durable as the Hawley but I have a feeling it's cheaper because ortho gave me two to start.

Karla

Hi Karla, congrats again on getting debraced! As for the permanent retainer, you should become accustomed to it over the next few weeks/months and you will no longer be aware of it (I had upper and lower permanent retainers last round). I think it's safe to say that the essix retainers are substantially less durable than hawleys, but their longevity seems to vary significantly between wearers. And yes, they are less expensive than hawleys. I'll be replacing mine every 2 - 3 years just to be safe. Kudos to your ortho for giving you a backup.

All the Best,

Jethro